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Political Science 2219E (Huron University College)
The Politics of Human Rights
Course Outline
Prerequisites: Pol.Sci.1020E
Type: Intersession (Essay) May 12/14 to June 19/14
Place: V210
Time: Monday to Thursday 2pm-5pm
Instructor: Dr. Robert F. Jonasson. Office: V125 Ext: 248
Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 10:30-11:00am
E-mail address: rjonasso@uwo.ca (please e-mail anytime)
COURSE SUMMARY: Political Science 2219E, the Politics of Human Rights, is a course
which examines the theoretical underpinnings, political dimensions and real-world
applications of human rights. The course combines a focus on the political dimension
associated with human rights, the background, meaning and interpretation of human rights,
with a focus on the claims of cultural relativism and the special „problem‟ of women and
children‟s rights. Part of the course will focus on human rights through a comparative
analysis of particular countries‟ human rights records, with an emphasis on the international
actors and governance structures such as the United Nations and the International Criminal
Court.
COURSE STRUCTURE: The course is delivered predominantly via lecture; however, on
most Thursdays, there will be an in-class writing assignment. On most Tuesdays, there will
be student presentations.
GRADE BREAKDOWN:
1) ESSAY: 8-10 page paper due Thursday, June 12/14 in class. Topics will be provided.
The papers must be argumentative in form (you need a thesis statement) worth 40%
2) FINAL EXAM (TBA, 2 hours, essay – on whole course): worth 50%
3) 5 IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENTS: worth 5% (1% each) On most Thursdays, you will have
in-class opinion questions. These are pass/fail. The suggested length is 2 single spaced
pages (or 4 double spaced pages) each. Note times below.
4/ TUESDAY PRESENTATIONS: worth 5% (1% for the oral presentation; 4% for the
written) On most Tuesdays, we will have 1-3 presenters doing topics. Each student will
do 1 presentation. The presentations should be 20 minutes long. The prof and the
students should be given a handout of the presentation summary (this may be in point
form). It should be 3 pages single-spaced (or 6 double spaced pages). It should contain
a minimum of 3 questions for class discussion. Note times below.
REQUIRED READINGS:
Tremblay, Kelly, Lipson and Mayer. 2009. Understanding Human rights. Book is available in
at the Western Bookstore.
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All other readings will be on Sakai. All readings are given below and are subject to change.
Week #1: May 12-14 - The Genealogy of the Human Rights Discourse -- course
introduction, expectations; Human Rights - a basic intro; sources of Western Human Rights
and non-Western traditions: Judeo-Christian revelation; the natural law tradition in the West;
Islamic views; Critical traditions: Orthodox Marxism; utilitarianism; National Socialism
Readings – Rerum Novarum pdf (Leo XIII, 1891); Declaration of the Rights of Man and the
Citizen pdf (France, 1789); The Cairo Declaration on the Human Rights in Islam pdf
(Organization of the Islamic Conference, 1990); Marx‟s critique of human rights pdf (author
unknown, 2010); utilitarianism pdf
Thursday, May 15: assignment #1
Week #2: - Beyond Negative Rights -May 19 (Holiday) May 21- Human Rights as individual
rights: negative and positive liberty; group rights – are they human rights?
Reading – textbook Ch.1
Tuesday, May 20: presentations: topics: 1/ pornography – a right? 2/ prostitution – a right? 3/
Free speech – how free?
Thursday, May 22: assignment #2
Week #3: - Are Human Rights consistent with multiple meanings of them? – May 26,28 –
women‟s rights and children‟s rights; Human Rights and cultural relativism;
Reading – textbook Chs.4,7
Tuesday, May 27: presentations: topics: 1/ Is there absolute truth? 2/ LGBT rights? 3/
Aboriginal rights?
Thursday, May 29: assignment #3
Week #4: - Human Rights Instruments and Enforcement Mechanisms – June 2,4 –
Human Rights treaties; International forums for justice; compliance and the difficulty of
enforcement
Readings – Universal Declaration of Human Rights pdf (U.N., 1948); International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights pdf (U.N., 1966); International Covenant on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights pdf (U.N., 1966); International Criminal Court pdf (Rosenthal, 2001) +
textbook Chs.2,3
Tuesday, May 3: presentations: topics: 1/ Do human rights require a world state? 2/ Does
globalization violate human rights? 3/ Can there be compensation for human rights crimes?
Thursday, June 5- assignment #4
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Week #5: - The abuse of Human Rights: Case Studies - June 9,11 – Nazi Germany and the
USSR ; North Korea and Russia (Chechnya)
Readings – The Soviet Union and Stalin pdf; Nazi Germany pdf; North Korea and human
rights pdf (Human Rights Watch, 2011); Chechnya and human rights pdf (Human Rights
Watch, 2007)
Tuesday, June 10: presentations: topics: 1/ Rwandan Genocide – preventable? 2/ Darfur
(Sudan) Genocide – preventable? 3/ Former Yugoslavia Wars (1990s) – preventable?
Thursday, June 12: essay due in class
Week #6:- Con’t - June 16,18 – China and the United States ; exam review
Readings -- China and human rights pdf (Lum, 2008); The American death penalty and
human rights pdf (Dieter, date unknown)
Tuesday, June 17: presentations: topics: 1/ Burma – human rights violator? 2/ Iran – human
rights violator? 3/ Syria – human rights violator?
Thursday, June 19: assignment #5.
June 23-24: Final Exam Period
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GENERAL COURSE RULES
The following rules are to be taken very seriously. They will be strictly enforced. Every
student must be treated fairly; the rules below will ensure that all students will be treated in a
just manner. If you follow the rules laid out here, you will have a much better chance of
doing well in the course. If you break the rules, you will suffer certain consequences.
1/ Do not be disruptive in class. After one warning, you will be asked to leave. Continual
behavioural problems may lead to more severe consequences (eg. removal from the course).
2/ All grade values in the course outline are „set in stone‟. There will be no re-weighting or
bell-curving. No extra assignments will be given. No items will be omitted from the final
grade.
3/ All due dates (eg. essays, assignments, tests, exams) in the course outline are „set in stone‟,
unless they are moved to a later date by the instructors. Under no condition will due dates be
made earlier than the dates indicated in the course outline.
4/ All essays must be handed to the instructor in-class on the due date. Once the class is over,
the paper is late. Additionally, a copy must be uploaded to turnitin via the 'assignments' tab of
the course website.
5/ All late papers must be handed into the essay drop-off box outside the office of the Arts
and Social Sciences Administrative Assistants‟ office. In addition, you must hand in another
copy to either instructor. Such copies may be left under either instructor’s office door.
6/ The late penalty is 2% per working day. In all cases, the stamped date is the date which
will be considered definitive when assigning late penalties. There is no exception to this
rule.
7/ The instructor has never lost a paper and will not accept that as an excuse without specific
recollection of having been handed a paper by a specific student. If you leave a paper in the
drop box, you are advised to email the instructor to ensure that the paper has come into his
possession. In other words, YOU are responsible for your paper up to and until the
INSTRUCTOR has determined that they are in possession of it. Do not let other students hand
in your papers unless you are willing to take the risk that it might not get to its destination.
8/ Emailed papers will only be accepted if you have been given specific permission by the
instructor that this is acceptable. This option is only for the most rare and unusual
circumstances and is subject to the complete discretion of the instructors.
9/As indicated in the policy of the dept., there are some legitimate excuses which may allow
students to get limited extensions for essays, tests and exams. ALL EXCUSES MUST BE
ACCOMPANIED BY AN OFFICIAL NOTE (eg. doctor‟s note). Dates must be present to
indicate the time period the student was affected. Instructors must be notified by academic
counseling within 2 weeks of the missed essay or test. The permission must be produced
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immediately in the case of the final exam. Failure to produce the proper documentation
within the time period will result in a grade of zero on the missed essay, test or exam.
10/ The longest extension given for an essay or a test, for most valid excuses, will be two
weeks. Most extensions will actually be shorter than this (eg. if a doctor‟s note says that you
were sick three working days after the essay was due and you hand it in five working days
late, your extension is for 3 days and the paper is 2 days late). It is always advisable to see the
instructor as soon as the potential for an issue arises rather than after the fact.
11/ The instructors take all marking very seriously. Subjective feelings are not a valid basis
for an appeal (eg. “I think you are too hard on me”; “I have never had a mark this low”). All
appeals must be put into writing and instructors may take a day or more to make their
decision.
NOTE: If you are a student with a serious concern, whether valid or not, and you are unable
to keep up with the course for a period of longer than three consecutive classes, we strongly
advise that you drop the course. Students who get too far behind generally do not finish in
any case or receive an uncharacteristically low grade. Sometimes unfortunate events occur in
our lives; try to persevere, but if you cannot, it is no shame to reduce your course load in
certain situations.
12/ If you are absent for any of the graded assignments, you MUST seek accommodation
from academic counseling in order to be accommodated.
13/ Please do not ask the instructor for final grades (or final exam grades). These must be
released by the Registrar‟s Office first.
DEPARTMENT COURSE RULES:
Late Penalties:
It is the policy of the Department of Political Science to exact a penalty of 2 marks (i.e. 2
per cent of the grade on the assignment) per working day for late papers. Papers will not be
accepted by instructors if they are more than two weeks late.
Documentation:
Students must use a standard social science citation, footnoting and bibliographic format.
Each note or reference must include a page number. Make sure that you consult a standard
guide to documentation, as marks will be deducted for improper footnoting, references and
bibliographies. The UWO bookstore has a number of such guides. (Such as those by Kate
Turabian or Margot Northey) These guides along with several others are also available
behind the information desk at the Huron University College Library.
Internet Documentation:
All information obtained through the Internet must be cited in footnotes and
bibliographies. Internet citations must include all of the same information that is provided
when citing a book or article. This includes the name of the author, name of the
organisation that has posted the website, the title, the date that the website was consulted,
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and the website address. For more details on proper electronic citation, consult the
information desk at the Huron University College library.
Assignment drop-off:
Essays and other written assignments must be handed to the instructor directly or placed in
the essay drop-off box.
What Your Grades mean:
The University of Western Ontario Senate has adopted a set of grade descriptors which
explain the meaning of grades assigned in all university courses:
A+ 90-100% One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
A 80-89% Superior work which is clearly above average
B 70-79% Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
C 60-69% Competent work, meeting requirements
D 50-59% Fair work, minimally acceptable
F below 50% Fail
Class attendance:
You are strongly advised not to miss any class meetings. Important material, detailed
instructions, information and insights on course themes, examinations, written work,
course objectives and other essential matters will be presented in these hours.
Course expectations and aspirations:
1. An expectation of self-directed, independent and active learning.
2. An expectation of routine attendance in scheduled meetings.
3. An expectation that assigned readings will be read thoroughly and annotated prior
to scheduled meetings.
4. An expectation that each student will participate in an active and relevant manner,
contributing ideas and insights derived from the assigned reading.
5. An aspiration toward precision, accuracy and clarity in oral communication,
including active listening skills.
6. An aspiration toward enhanced depth and breadth of learning as the course
proceeds.
7. An aspiration toward more critical and analytical thinking as the course proceeds
and assignments are completed.
8. An aspiration toward a continued curiosity toward new ideas and openness toward
others and their ideas.
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ESSAY TOPICS POL.SCI. 2219E
PROF. JONASSON
Questions: (answer in an argumentative form and in detail)
1/ How essential is religious belief to an effective conception of Human Rights?
2/ Do Human Rights reflect Western values and are they an improper imposition on nonWestern peoples?
3/ How essential are positive rights to a proper understanding of Human Rights?
4/ Can an international criminal court impartially judge political leaders who have violated
Human Rights?
5/ Should and can we (nations and/or the international community) compensate those who
have been denied fundamental Human Rights?
6/ Which country - the U.S. or China (both during the last 35 years) - is the greater violator of
Human Rights (in your view)?
NOTE: You may do your own topic but it must be approved by the instructor.
Questions must be similar in scope and nature to the ones above. Failure to get
approval will result in grade of 0.
Due Date: Thursday, June 12/14 in class. DO NOT E-MAIL PAPERS. Please see course
rule #8, above.
Length: 8-10 pages double-spaced. You must have a bibliography and papers must be
properly cited.
NOTE: Computer breakdown is not an excuse for a late paper. It is your responsibility to
make at least one extra copy of your paper.
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ESSAY TIPS
Introduction
- half – 1 page double spaced
- come to thesis statement quickly (first 3 or 4 lines)
- avoid prose („flowery‟ or colloquial writing)
- outline the major points (at least 3) which support your thesis statement
- do not elaborate on the points
- avoid quotations
Thesis statement - one line which clearly sets out the argument.
Body of paper
- (whatever length assigned; usually 7-11 double spaced pages)
- divide into several paragraphs based on the major points in the introduction
- use statistics, quotations and other support material (always cite these)
- on average, you should have 3 citations per page in the body of the essay
- avoid going off on tangents
Conclusion
- half – 1 page double spaced
- should not be identical but should be a reiteration of your introduction
- sum up: say that you have proven your thesis statement
NOTE: Avoid first person („I‟); try to say things like „this essay‟ or „this author‟ instead
CITATIONS: Always cite direct quotes. Always cite statistics right away. Try to cite major theories which are
clearly not your own. When in doubt, cite – but do not cite every line of your paper. Do not paraphrase. If a
quote is longer than 25 words, centre the quote on every line (do not double space) and do not use
quotation marks (use double marks for the shorter quotes).
You may use footnote or endnote or bracket style. Every citation must be numbered (even brackets). Use the
consistent referencing style you are used to. All sources should have: author, title, publisher, place published,
date and page no. Net sources must have Web address (I realize that the author is not always given).
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:
1/ good style (spelling, grammar, proper academic writing); 2/ proper structure (see above); 3/ good content (did
you prove your essay?); 4/ research (good citations)
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Appendix to Course Outlines
Prerequisite Information
Students are responsible for ensuring that they have successfully completed all course
prerequisites. Unless you have either the requisites for this course or written special
permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it
will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no
adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to
have the necessary prerequisites.
Conduct of Students in Classes, Lectures, and Seminars
Membership in the community of Huron University College and the University of
Western Ontario implies acceptance by every student of the principle of respect for the
rights, responsibilities, dignity and well-being of others and a readiness to support an
environment conducive to the intellectual and personal growth of all who study, work
and live within it. Upon registration, students assume the responsibilities that such
registration entails. The academic and social privileges granted to each student are
conditional upon the fulfillment of these responsibilities.
In the classroom, students are expected to behave in a manner that supports the learning
environment of others. Students can avoid any unnecessary disruption of the class by
arriving in sufficient time to be seated and ready for the start of the class, by remaining
silent while the professor is speaking or another student has the floor, and by taking care
of personal needs prior to the start of class. If a student is late, or knows that he/she will
have to leave class early, be courteous: sit in an aisle seat and enter and leave quietly.
Please see the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities at:
http://www.huronuc.ca/CurrentStudents/StudentLifeandSupportServices/StudentDisci
pline
Technology
It is not appropriate to use technology (such as, but not limited to, laptops, PDAs, cell
phones) in the classroom for non-classroom activities. Such activity is disruptive and is
distracting to other students and to the instructor, and can inhibit learning. Students are
expected to respect the classroom environment and to refrain from inappropriate use of
technology and other electronic devices in class.
Academic Accommodation for Medical/Non-Medical Grounds
For UWO Policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness and a downloadable SMC see:
http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/accommodation_medical.p
df
[downloadable Student Medical Certificate (SMC): https://studentservices.uwo.ca under
the Medical Documentation heading]
Students seeking academic accommodation on medical grounds for any missed tests,
exams, participation components and/or assignments worth 10% or more of their final
grade must apply to the Academic Counselling office of their home Faculty and provide
documentation. Academic accommodation will be determined by the Dean’s Office in
consultation with the instructor.
For non-medical grounds or for medical grounds when work represents less than 10% of
the overall grade for the course, students seeking academic accommodation must apply
to the Academic Counselling office of their home Faculty and provide documentation.
Academic accommodation will be determined by the Dean’s Office in consultation with
the instructor.
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Statement on Academic Offences
Scholastic offences are taken seriously and students are directed to read the appropriate
policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the
following Web site:
http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_unde
rgrad.pdf
Statement on Academic Integrity
The International Centre for Academic Integrity defines academic integrity as "a
commitment, even in the face of adversity, to five fundamental values: honesty, trust,
fairness, respect, and responsibility. From these values flow principles of behaviour that
enable academic communities to translate ideals to action." (CAI Fundamental Values
Project, 1999).
A lack of academic integrity is indicated by such behaviours as the following:
Cheating on tests;
Fraudulent submissions online;
Plagiarism in papers submitted (including failure to cite and piecing
together unattributed sources);
Unauthorized resubmission of course work to a different course;
Helping someone else cheat;
Unauthorized collaboration;
Fabrication of results or sources;
Purchasing work and representing it as one’s own.
Academic Integrity: Importance and Impact
Being at university means engaging with a variety of communities in the pursuit and
sharing of knowledge and understanding in ways that are clear, respectful, efficient, and
productive. University communities have established norms of academic integrity to
ensure responsible, honest, and ethical behavior in the academic work of the university,
which is best done when sources of ideas are properly and fully acknowledged and when
responsibility for ideas is fully and accurately represented.
In the academic sphere, unacknowledged use of another’s work or ideas is not only an
offence against the community of scholars and an obstacle to academic productivity. It
may also be understood as fraud and may constitute an infringement of legal copyright.
A university is a place for fulfilling one's potential and challenging oneself, and this
means rising to challenges rather than finding ways around them. The achievements in
an individual’s university studies can only be fairly evaluated quantitatively through true
and honest representation of the actual learning done by the student. Equity in
assessment for all students is ensured through fair representation of the efforts by each.
Acting with integrity at university constitutes a good set of practices for maintaining
integrity in later life. Offences against academic integrity are therefore taken very
seriously as part of the university’s work in preparing students to serve, lead, and
innovate in the world at large.
A university degree is a significant investment of an individual’s, and the public’s, time,
energies, and resources in the future, and habits of academic integrity protect that
investment by preserving the university’s reputation and ensuring public confidence in
higher education.
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Students found guilty of plagiarism will suffer consequences ranging from a
grade reduction to failure in the course to expulsion from the university. In
addition, a formal letter documenting the offence will be filed in the Dean’s
Office, and this record of the offence will be retained in the Dean’s Office for
the duration of the student’s academic career at Huron University College.
All required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to the
commercial plagiarism detection software under license to the University for the
detection of plagiarism. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as
source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of
papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the
licensing agreement, currently between The University of Western Ontario and
Turnitin.com.
Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams may be subject to submission for
similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns
that may indicate cheating.
Personal Response Systems (“clickers”) may be used in some classes. If clickers are to be
used in a class, it is the responsibility of the student to ensure that the device is activated
and functional. Students must see their instructor if they have any concerns about
whether the clicker is malfunctioning. Students must use only their own clicker. If clicker
records are used to compute a portion of the course grade:

the use of somebody else’s clicker in class constitutes a scholastic offence,

the possession of a clicker belonging to another student will be interpreted as an
attempt to commit a scholastic offence.
Policy on Special Needs
Students who require special accommodation for tests and/or other course components
must make the appropriate arrangements with the Student Development Centre (SDC).
Further details concerning policies and procedures may be found at:
http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/ssd/?requesting_acc
Attendance Regulations for Examinations
A student is entitled to be examined in courses in which registration is maintained,
subject to the following limitations:
1) A student may be debarred from writing the final examination for failure to maintain
satisfactory academic standing throughout the year.
2) Any student who, in the opinion of the instructor, is absent too frequently from class
or laboratory periods in any course will be reported to the Dean of the Faculty offering
the course (after due warning has been given). On the recommendation of the
Department concerned, and with the permission of the Dean of that Faculty, the student
will be debarred from taking the regular examination in the course. The Dean of the
Faculty offering the course will communicate that decision to the Dean of the Faculty of
registration.
Class Cancellations
In the event of a cancellation of class, every effort will be made to post that information
on the Huron website, http://www.huronuc.ca/AccessibilityInfo (“Class Cancellations”).
Accessibility
Huron University College strives at all times to provide its goods and services in a way
that respects the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. We are also
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committed to giving people with disabilities the same opportunity to access our goods
and services and allowing them to benefit from the same services, in the same place as,
and in a similar way to, other customers. We welcome your feedback about accessibility
at Huron. Information about how to provide feedback is available at:
http://www.huronuc.ca/AccessibilityInfo
Mental Health @ Western
Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Mental Health @ Western
http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for a complete list of options about how to
obtain help.
Program and Academic Counselling
Political Science students registered at Huron who require advice about modules and
courses in Political Science should contact Dr. Alfred Chan, Chair, Department of
Political Science, achan@uwo.ca, 519-438-7224 ext. 255. Students should contact
Academic Counselling on other academic matters. See the Academic Counselling website
for information on services offered.
http://huronuc.ca/CurrentStudents/StudentLifeandSupportServices/CounselorsCounsel
lingServices